Flexible connection for runway girders



Aug. 9, 1960 J. A. EVANS FLEXIBLE CONNECTION FOR RUNWAY GIRDERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 28, 1956 F 1 If 4 i W w L J m m u /Lw 8 2 k I L x. O 7 3 2 Q 0 2 5 2 m w 2 I I1 .2 IA 1 f 4 a 2 INVENTOR.

JAMES A. EVANS BY 0M 6 ATTORNEYS Aug. 9, 1960 "J. A. EVANS 2,948,365

FLEXIBLE CONNECTION FOR RUNWAY GIRDERS Filed Sept. 28, 1956 2 Sheets-Shag: 2

INVENTOR.

JAMES A. EVANS ATTORNEYS A 2,948,365 Patented Aug. 9, 1960 FLEXIBLE CONNECTION FOR RUNWAY GIRDERS 9 James A. Evans, 2131 Amherst Road Massillon, Ohio Filed Sept. 28, 1956, Ser. N0. $12,602 Claims. (Cl. 189-36) application serial No. 386,825, filed October 19, 1953,

now abandoned, as Well as a continuation-in-part of my application serial No. 583,190, filed May 7, 1956, now

abandoned. v

This invention generally relates to a particular flexible connection for crane runway girders providing a strut between the crane runway girder and a vertical column. The girder is mounted on a seat shoulder of the column and may have secured on the crane runway girder a channel. The strut or flexible connection between the top flange or the channel secured to the crane runway girder and the column may be of various types as hereinafter described.

This invention involves this connecting strut or flexible connection between the vertical column and the flange of the channel secured to the crane runway girder. A

rail is mounted upon the girder and channel forming a crane runway. The strut comprises a member supported against the vertical column and means for securely fastening the same to the column, together with horizontal and'vertical support members to provide a rigid connection therebetween, and a J-shaped member facing outwardly of the strut adapted to surround the flange of the channel. The channel has elongated slots therein and fastening means across the J-shaped portion of the strut. This combination permits longitudinal movement, according to Hookes law, in the crane runway girder While securing the girder and its channel member against lateral thrusts and tension as by movement of the load on the girder.

More particularly in connection with industrial building designs, many of these buildings are provided with crane runways which have a number of rows of parallel columns and crane girders attached to the columns to provide a crane runway. Atraveling crane passes between these parallel rows of columns and when loaded causes deflection, according to Hookes law. This provides for separation at the ends of the crane runway mounted upon the column in such a manner that longitudinal deflections must be provided for.

Thisinvention, then, relates to the nature of the connection between the vertical column and the crane run.- way girder, such as a strut having a particular connection with the channel on, the girder to provide for flexibility longitudinally by deflection of the girder so that there maybe a longitudinal movement along the girder caused by the bending of the beam or girder, while at the same time holding the girder and the channel attached thereto rigidly against transverse movements.

Some of the reasoning for the problem brought about in connection with crane runway maintenance has been explained in an article entitled, Correct Runway Design Minimizes Maintenance, published in The Iron and Steel Engineer of May, 1956.

United States. PatentO An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved flexible connection for crane runway girders to .permit longitudinal movement of the upper flange and associated members, channels and the like, attached thereto with respect to the vertical column and a supporting strut for the upper flange and channel of the girder. A further object of this invention is to provide'a new and simplified connection between a crane runway and a vertical column to provide for a flexible connection allowing deflection in the beam without a loosening of the rivets or the bolts in the connection between the ends of the crane runway girder.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims; the following description setting forth in detail one approved means of carrying out the invention, such disclosed means, however, constituting but one of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be used.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view through a vertical column showing the strut element having a cutaway porv and showing the flexible connection or strut between the vertical column and the girder and channel member; and

Fig. 3 shows an elevational view perpendicular to Fig. 2 showing the ends of the girder, the strut connection therebetween and the flexing of the beam in loading, as well as the manner in which the connection permits this movement.

In connection with the drawings, 10 shows a vertical column element of I or H beam or any other particular cross section and could be reinforced concrete or the like. 11 shows a seat shoulder on the vertical column having an upper face 1'2 or shoulder element on which a crane runway girder may rest. The crane runway girder is shown at 13 and in connection with Fig. 1 another crane runway girder would be oppositely disposed to the first crane runway girder and a continuous rail would be seycured as at 14 by means of rail clips 15 and 1-6 to the channel-shaped member 17 which would be fastened as, for example, by welding as at 18 to the upper flange of 'the girder.

The particular invention in connection with the flexible connection of this crane runway girder is particularly shown at 20 in which there is a vertical flange 21 disposed adjacent to the flange of the upper vertical column '22 and fastened to the column as by means of bolts 23, I though other fastening means may be provided completely v ,top of the strut to provide stability. On the opposite side is a J-shaped element 36 which conforms in general shape to the edge flange of the channel member 17. The vertical or dependent flange may be secured to the crane runway girder only in the vicinity of the vertical column to support the strut element. The J-shaped support element 36 would have a vertical portion 27, and the leg of the J 28 extending in opposite direction as, for example, like a return bend portion. Securing both sides is a fastening means as, for example, at 29 including a nut 30, though other means might be employed.

The particular element in connection with the flexible connection is shown particularly in Fig. 1 and partially in Fig. 2. In Fig. 1 the opening or aperture in the channel member is shown as at 31. This provides a limited amount, perhaps as much as A1 inch or /2 inch to as much as 1 inch under some conditions, of longitudinal movement, i.e., movement along the crane runway girder.

This can be seen particularly in connection with Fig. 3 where the elongated slot is shown at 31 and the position of the girder when loaded providing for deflection, according to Hookes law, would be shown in dotted lines as at 34. It will be seen that the upper edge of the girder or beam would be in compression and the lower edge in tension, and the beam would foreshorten by a substantial amount. At the same time because of transverse loads, as, for example, by the movement of the trolley on the crane bridge, there must be an ability to withstand the cross thrusts, and this is provided for by means of the upper section 26 and the web 25 of the strut element and by the bolt fastening means through the flange of the channel secured to the girder. This is in a direct line almost with the rail of the crane runway and permits the imposition of the thrust directly to the vertical column. In the opposite direction tension would be along the same line. If support were lower down on the beam, there would be a substantial bending in the girder. Consequently, this combination of a flexible connection in the form of a strut provides for the longitudinal movement or separation of the crane runway girder and at the same time permits a fairly rigid connection in terms of the cross thrust. The action is particularly explained in connection with the article published in The Iron and Steel Engineer for May, 1956.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with a few preferred embodiments thereof, variations and modifications may be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the principles of the invention. All of these variations and modifications are considered to be within the true spirit and scope of the present invention as disclosed in the foregoing description and defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A flexible connection for runway girders having a top flange comprising a dependent flange projecting downward from said top flange, a vertical column with a seat shoulder on said column and on which said girder rests, said column having a portion extending vertically thereabove and a portion extending vertically therebelow, a strut element and a connecting means secured thereto,

said strut extending between the depending flange of the crane runway girder and the portion of the vertical colurnn extending vertically above the seat shoulder, said strut element being secured to the depending flange of the crane runway girder and to the portion of the vertical column extending vertically above the seat shoulder in approximate alignment with the top flange of the girder and transverse the longitudinal axis thereof in order to take any direct thrust which may be exerted upon said top flange, said connecting means on the strut comprising an enclosing portion in the shape of a return bend, said depending flange being fitted between the bend and the return bend portion, said connecting means on the strut and the depending flange having means therein to permit limited movement longitudinally of 4 the members while holding the members rigidly in a direction transverse thereto, whereby limited longitudinal movement of said crane runway girder in deflection may be permitted while at the same time accepting the cross thrust in the strut.

2. The flexible connection of claim 1 in which the dependent flange has an elongated opening therein to permit the relative longitudinal movement of the members.

3. A flexible connection for runway girders compris ing a crane runway girder having an upper horizontal flange, a web section and a lower horizontal flange, a vertical column having a seat shoulder, said girder positioned on said seat shoulder, means in combination with the upper horizontal flange of the girder including a horizontal portion and a vertical dependent flange from said horizontal portion, said dependent flange from said horizontal portion being in opposed relationship to the vertical column, a strut means between said dependent flange and the vertical column, said strut means comprising a rigid member capable of accepting the cross thrusts from the upper horizontal flange between said gitrder and said vertical column, connecting means to said vertical column to accept said cross thrusts in'either direction, connecting means to the girder and the vertical dependent flange, said last-named connecting means comprising a return bend portion surrounding said verticaldependent flange, means in connection with thereturn bend portion and the vertical dependent flange to permit relative longitudinal movement of one with respect to the other while accepting the cross thrusts in either direction, whereby a flexible connection is provided between a crane runway girder and a vertical column that permits movement of the girder relative to said strut while accepting horizontal cross thrusts against the column.

4. The flexible connection of claim 3 in which there is an opening in the return bend portion and an elongated opening in the vertical dependent flange, whereby fastening means secured between said members will permit longitudinal movement of one with respect to the other.

5. In a connection for runway girders, a vertically extending column provided with a laterally extending seat shoulder, a girder positioned on said shoulder and extending transverse the longitudinal axis of said column, said girder being provided with a generally horizontal top flange, a flange depending from said top flange on the side thereof opposed to said column and extending axially of said girder, a rigid strut secured to said column above said seat shoulder and extending toward said depending flange, said strut extending in a direction transverse the longitudinal axis of said girder and being provided with a groove generally parallel to said depending flange, said depending flange being received in said groove and providing a sandwich-like arrangement, a fastener extending through said sandwich and portions'of said sandwich being movable with respect to said fastener in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said girder, said strut being approximately aligned with the top flange'of said girder.

References Cited in the stile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,167,899 Henderson Jan/11,1916 2,728,424 Evans Dec. '27, 1955 

